Spindle and bearing assembly



C. D. PAUL Aug. 1, 1950 SPINDLE AND BEARING ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 5, 1946 Inventor": Ghvisil D. Pgaul, y JV afjm zs Attorney.

Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Christ D. Paul, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Carboloy (Lmnpany, Inc., a corporation of New York Application September 5,1946, Serial No. 694,929

(o1; cos-70 7 Claims. 1

The present invention is an improved spindle and bearing assembly having cemented carbide bearings and which is particularly adapted for use in grinding machines and the like. One of the objects of the invention the provision of a spindle and bearing assembly in which proper radial clearance and end play can be easily maintained. Further objects of the invention are the provision of spindle and bearing assemblies which have identical characteristics and the provision of a spindle and bearing assembly in which all bearing parts may be machined easily. Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the assembly and disassembly of the spindle andbearing parts may be accomplished quickly and easily. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The novel features which are characteristic of my invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. My invention itself, however, will best be understood by reference to the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a view broken away and partly in longitudinal cross section and partly in elevation of a spindle and bearing assembly which embodies the features of the present invention. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have indicated at I a spindle or shaft having a tapered end portion 2 on which a grinding wheel or other driven device, not shown, may be secured. On the opposite end of shaft I a flanged driving pulley 3 having a recess 4 at its inner end is rigidly mounted between anut 5 and a shoulder 5 on. shaft I. I Pulley 3 is connected to shaft I for rotation therewith by means of a key 8. I A spanner nut 6 is mounted on-a screw threaded portion I of shaft I and provided with atapped hole 9 extending therethrough. H The screw threaded portion 1 is providedwith four equally spaced, parallel, longitudinal grooves ID... A set screw II in the tapped hole 9 is adapted to engage any one of grooves Ill and thereby lock nut 6 at any desired point on the screw-threaded portion I of shaft I, and thus control the tension of spring 24.

Shaft I is provided with substantially identical bearings at points adjacent its opposite ends. The bearing adjacent driving pulley 3 comprises a cemented carbide ring I2 having an outer tapered bearing surface I3 and an integral outwardly extending flange I4. A clearance of about 0.0003" to 0.0004" between shaft I and the bearing hole in ring I2 permits relative'longitudinal movement between shaft I and bearing member 2 I2 notwithstanding radial expansion of the shaft due to increase in its temperature during operation.

I The bearing member I2 is connected to pulley 3 and shaft I for rotary movement therewith by means of a metal sleeve or torque bushing I5. The latter is slidably mounted on shaft I and provided at its inner end with two diametrically opposite keys I6 and II engaging two cooperating keyway slots l8 and IS in the bearing ring I2. The opposite end of bushing I5 is provided with two projections 20 and 2! which engage co operating slots 22 and 23 on the adjacent end of.

the driving pulley 3. The coil spring 20 surrounds shaft I between bushing. I5 and the adjustable nut Ii. When the nut 0 is adjusted to compress spring 24 the bushing I5 is moved along shaft I andpressed into contact with the bearing member I2 to thereby move the member I2 into desired contact with an outer stationary cemented carbide bearing member 20. At the same time the pressure of the spring 24 against the nut 6 serves to move shaft 1 in the opposite direction. A clearance of about /16" between the ends of the projections 20 and 2| and the opposite surfaces of the slots 22 and 23 and a clearance of about 0.0002" to 0.0003" between the torque bushing I5 and shaft I permit the bushing I5 to slide to a limited extent in opposite directions on shaft I. The outer surface of the inner bearing ring I 2 is tapered and provided with circumferential, intersecting, oil grooves 25. The outer stationary bearing member 20 has a smooth inner tapered surface 27 which cooperates with the correspondingly tapered surface I3 on the bearing ring I2. I During operation there is a clearance of. about 0.0003" between the tapered surfaces. to meet different conditions.

The stationary bearing member 26 is positioned in the recessed portion 28 of a shaft and bearing housing 29 and held against movement therein by a nut 30 mounted in the recess and adapted to exert pressure on hearing member 26 by means I of a flanged washer 3| the outer rim of which bearing member I2 and prevents any binding.

This clearance may be varied action between the cooperating tapered surfaces of the bearing members I2 and 2B. A clearance of about 0.001" to 0.002" permits sliding movement of torque bushing I within the nut 30 and washer 3I. A clearance of 33-2 between the inner surface of the stationary ring 32 and the outer adjacent surface of the flange I4 permits sliding movement of the inner bearing member I2 within ring 32 and also serves as an oil reservoir. The recessed end 23 of the housing 29 is provided with an oil pocket 36 while a fabric or other suitable washer 35 provides an oil seal between the nut 30 and bushing I5.

The opposite end of the housing 29 and the bearing assembly adjacent the driven end of shaft I are substantially identical in structure with the end of the housing and bearing assem bly adjacent the driving pulley 3. At the driven end of the shaft 9. flanged cemented carbide bearing member 31 is mounted on shaft I between a circular ledge or shoulder 38 thereon and a spanner nut 39. The outer surface of the bearing 3'! is tapered and provided with intersecting oil grooves similar to those on the bearing member I2. The nut 39 is threaded onto shaft I and provided with a pair of diametrically opposite integral extensions or splines 40 and 4| which contact the bearing member 3'! through cooperating grooves or slots therein. A stationary cemented carbide outer bearing member 42 is mounted on the inner bearing member '37 and held in position between a ring 43 and a circular ledge or shoulder 44 in the recess 45 of housing 28. A nut 45 engages a screw threaded portion of recess 45 and forces a washer 41 against the ring 43 to thereby lock the outer cemented carbide bearing member 42 in position in recess 45. Inward movement of the nut 46 also causes the washer 41 to move to the desired end play position. The difference in width between flange and ring 43 is the amount of permitted end play. The recess 45 is provided with an oil pocket 49.

A small clearance between bearing member 31 and shaft I, for example about 0.0003", permits radial expansion of shaft I and prevents injury of the member 31 which might occur if gripping action occurred between shaft I and the bearing member. A like clearance is provided between the cooperating tapered surfaces of the bearing members 31 and 4-2. A clearance of =52" also is provided between the outer surface of flange 48 on bearing member 31 and the inner surface of ring 43 while a clearance of 0005-001" is provided between flange 4.8 and bearing member 42 and washer 41. A clearance of about 0001-0002" between shaft I and inner surfaces of the washer 41 and the nut 46 permits rotation and slight lateral movement of shaft I within those members. A fabric washer 50 provides an oil seal be tween shaft I and the nut 45.

In operation, pulley 3 drives shaft I, torque bushing I5, nuts 5, 6 and 39, inner bearing rings I2 and 31, key 8 and spring 24 as a unit while the outer bearing members 26 and 42, housing 29, nuts 30, 46, washers SI, 41, rings 32, 43 and oil seals 35 and 59 remain stationary. When the nut 6 is adjusted to compress spring 24, the torque bushing keys I6 and I I in slots I8 and I9 move the flange I4 and tapered surface on the bearing member I2 into close contact with the cooperat ing bearing surface of the stationary bearing member 26. At the same time the spring pulls shaft I and inner bearing member 31 in the opposite direction so that the flange 48 and the tapered surface on bearing member 3'! are pulled .4 into close contact with cooperating surfaces on the stationary bearing member 42. The flat surface bearing action obtained at both ends of shaft I between the flange on the inner bearing member and the cooperating flat surface on the outer bearing member prevents any locking action between the cooperating tapered bearing surfaces and maintains a uniform and desired radial play between the tapered bearing surfaces. With the disclosed arrangement of the outer stationary bearing member 42, ring 43, washer 41 and nut 46, it is possible to obtain positive end play control which is particularly desirable in many grinding operations such as gage and form work and the like.

By mounting the inner bearing members I2 and-3! on shaft I with sufficient radial clearance between the shaft and bearing members, radial expansion of the steel shaft I is permissible while at the same time all danger of cracking the inner bearing members by shaft expansion is eliminated. Furthermore, both inner bearing mem-- bers run true to each other at all times. During operation the radial clearance between the inner bearing members I2 and 31 and shaft I is taken up by the expansion of shaft I and a thin film of oil. Since no taper bearing locking friction exists in my improved spindle and bearing assembly, the spindle will always run far cooler than has heretofore been possible. The elimination of taper locking bearing friction as heretofore pointed out, is controlled by the fiat cooperating contact surfaces, on the inner and outer bearing members.

With my improved arrangement of parts the cemented carbide bearing members may be reconditioned many times for radial or end play, at small cost, before any replacement is necessary. This may be accomplished in the following man ner: For radial clearance take up, stock may be removed either from the inner flat surfaces onthe inner bearing members or from the outer fiat surfaces on the outer bearing members. For increasing radial clearance, stock may be removed from the tapered bearing surfaces of either the outer or inner bearing members. In order to take up for end play, the length of ring 43 may be decreased. Since the contact between the fiat cooperating surfaces on the inner and outer bearing members at both ends of the shaft I are spring-controlled any radial play in the assembly will always be uniform in character.

Although all the bearing parts in my improved spindle and housing assembly are made of cemented carbide they are relatively easy tomachine thereby providing low manufacturing cost. Also, due to the fiat straight surfaces and the taper bearing surfaces on both outer and inner bearing members, precision bearing surfaces can be held with ease and with minimum scrap in attaining that end.

While I have illustrated my improved bearing assembly as positioned within a single housing it is obvious that the invention is not limited to the use of a single housing and that two housings may be employed if desired, one for each end of the spindle. Also, since all the cemented carbidebearing members may be standardized, and mold-pressed to form, machine finishing time is greatly reduced. The installation of new bearing members or the replacement of any parts in the assembly is a simple operation since no press fit parts are employed as in other spindle and bearing assemblies. In addition, the absence of press fitted parts in my assembly helps to keep the steel shaft I in good condition.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In combination, a shaft, a bearing therefor comprising two ring shaped members each having cooperating tapered surfaces, one of said members being mounted within the other, the inner member being rotatable with said shaft but axially movable relative thereto and the outer member being stationary, said inner member having a flange with a planar bearing surface thereon substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner bearing member and adapted to contact a similar planar surface on said stationary member, and spring means for adjusting the contact of said planar surfaces to thereby limit movement of said inner member within said outer member.

2. In combination, a shaft, bearings therefor positioned adjacent opposite ends thereof, each of said bearings comprising a stationary member and an inner member rotatable with said shaft and positioned within said stationary bearing member, the outer surface of the inner bearing member and the inner surface of the stationary bearing member being correspondingly tapered, said inner bearing member having an outwardly extending flange having a planar surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner bearing member and adapted to contact a planar surface on, and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of, said stationary member and thereby limit movement of the inner member within said outer member, said stationary bearing members being positioned between the said planar faces of said inner bearing members, said shaft having a limited longitudinal play in said bearings, and resilient means acting between said shaft and inner bearing members for controlling said limited longitudinal play.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2 including an abutment on said shaft against which the outer face of one of the inner bearing members abuts, a bushing surrounding said shaft and engaging the outer face of the other inner hear-- ing member, said bushing being positioned between said resilient means and said other inner bearing member whereby said resilient member acts to control the contact between said planar faces of each of said bearings.

4. The combination claimed in claim 2 wherein said inner and outer bearing members consist of cemented carbide.

5. The combination claimed in claim 4 wherein the shaft consists of steel and a limited radial clearance of a few ten thousandths of an inch is provided between said shaft and the inner bearing members to provide for radial expansion of said steel shaft at spindle running temperature.

6. In combination, a shaft, bearings therefor positioned adjacent opposite ends thereof, each of said bearings comprising a stationary member and an inner member rotatable with said shaft and positioned within said stationary bearing member, the outer surface of the inner bearing member and the inner surface of the stationary bearing member being correspondingly tapered, said inner bearing member having an outwardly extending flange having a planar surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said inner bearing member and adapted to contact a planar surface on, and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of, said stationary member and thereby limit movement of the inner member within said outer member, the said shaft being journalled in the inner members of said bearings, a driving connection between said shaft and each of said inner bearing members, one of said driving connections comprising a torque bushing surrounding said shaft and having a limited relative longitudinal movement thereon, a driving connection between said torque member and said inner bearing member, spring means acting between an abutment on said shaft and the outer end of said torque bushing whereby the spring acts between said torque bushing and abutment to control the sliding contact between said planar surfaces of each of said bearings.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6 including a pulley splined on said shaft, and a driving connection between said pulley and said torque bushing whereby driving torque for one of said inner bearing members is transmitted from said pulley through said torque bushing.

CHRIST D. PAUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 470,497 Loveland Mar. 8, 1892 726,378 Tucker Apr. 28, 1903 1,448,157 Selik Mar. 13, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,915 Denmark Nov. 28, 1910 608,872 France Aug. 4, 1926 553,240 Great Britain -1 May 13, 1943 

